1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus equipped with a strobe configured to shift between a retracted position and a service position, and a method of controlling the strobe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, some digital cameras have been provided with not only a function of performing still image shooting but also a function of performing moving image shooting. Among the digital cameras, many digital single-lens reflex cameras have a so-called popup strobe as an internal strobe which is popped up for use as required. The operation of the popup strobe is not necessitated for moving image shooting. However, in a digital single-lens reflex camera which is capable of temporarily stopping moving image shooting to thereby take a still image during the moving image shooting operation, a strobe is popped up when a photometry result that a strobe flash light is required for still image shooting is obtained.
When the strobe of the digital single-lens reflex camera is popping up, a sensor provided for preventing a camera shake detects mechanical vibration, which can cause an erroneous shake control operation. To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-173467 discloses processing to be executed to cause a shake preventing device to inhibit a shake control operation over a predetermined time period when the strobe is automatically popping up during moving image shooting.
To pop up a strobe during moving image shooting, there is employed one of the following two methods: a motor or the like is used to cause the strobe to automatically pop up; and a hook is disengaged to thereby manually pop up the strobe. However, in a case where the motor or the like is used to cause the strobe to automatically pop up, the popup driving can be hindered by some factor, which disables the strobe from popping up.
In the case of still image shooting, even if the strobe was not popped up, it is possible to perform error handling in a strobe drive failure-handling process and notify a photographer that the strobe could not be used though a strobe flash light was necessitated for shooting.
However, if the same processing as executed in still image shooting is performed during moving image shooting, the operability of the moving image shooting operation is adversely affected. More specifically, although it is possible to continue moving image shooting, an error indication is displayed, which makes it impossible to monitor display of a moving image being taken. Further, it may be required to carry out an operation for temporarily stop the moving image shooting operation so as to cause the digital camera to recover from the error state resultant from the popup failure.